Problems Aplenty in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy Setup: Sandeep Patil

Sandeep Patil writes about what’s been plaguing the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team in the last few seasons.

Mumbai’s Ranji players celebrate their sole win of the previous season, where they failed to make it past the group stage.

(Photo: PTI)

Mumbai’s loss was Vidarbha’s gain, and I’m talking about coach Chandrakant Pandit who switched over to Vidarbha after doing a commendable job with the Mumbai Ranji team.

Mumbai’s failure to get past the group stage this season was a shock to all of us who have not only played for Bombay, but have also been part of so many Ranji trophy victories. After New South Wales, Bombay’s Ranji team stands second for the most victories in first-class tournaments.

From what I have heard, there were ego clashes between Mumbai cricket officials and Chandrakant Pandit that resulted in him moving first to Kerala and then to Vidarbha.

And then, as we can see, he has helped these so-called “minnow” sides to emerge as champion teams, with Kerala reaching the semi-finals and Vidharbha winning the Ranji title two years in a row, and then also won the Irani trophy!

Vidarbha players celebrate with their coach Chandrakant Pandit after winning the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy final.(Photo: PTI)

But is Pandit the only reason for Mumbai's Ranji team, which has won the title a record 41 times, to be missing from title contention for the last couple of years?

Cricket is a team game and you cannot hold responsible just one person for losing or winning – that is why, rather playing the blame game, there is a need to try and identify the root cause of Mumbai’s failure to qualify to the knockouts this season, and then address them.

As a hardened fan of Mumbai, as so many others like me, I am upset, worried and concerned and am still thinking about what must have really gone wrong. After having a word with my friends in the Cricket Improvement Committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association and speaking with other seniors who have given their life to Mumbai cricket, it looks like the blame-game has unfortunately started.

By sacking the coach, captain, support staff or the selection committee, is Mumbai going to win the Ranji trophy again?

The game of cricket teaches you so many things, but most importantly, it teaches you to accept defeats and then to try and better your performance in the next game. But it is a old trend and I have experienced it myself. Team-building is a process. It does not happen over night.

I think what’s happening in the MCA right now is hastily taken knee-jerk reactions. Mind you, nobody likes to lose in life, forget about cricket. Everybody follows a winner and in cricket, only one can win.

I am extremely happy for Chandrakant Pandit and his Vidarbha team for winning the Ranji trophy 2 years in succession.

When they won it last year, the so-called cricket critics said it was a fluke but this year they have proved them wrong. I am also very happy for teams like Uttrakhand and Kerala and old horse Saurashtra who have done well, and the reason for them to do well is the improvement in their infrastructure. Improvement in their facilities, in picking the right coaches, picking the right players and playing with a purpose. It is most important to have a role model, to have a senior player to guide you to glory.

File photo of Mumbai’s 2015-16 Ranji Trophy winning team. (Photo: PTI)

Vidharbha made the right choice in picking Chandrakant Pandit to coach the team and also bringing on board Wasim Jaffer. Saurashtra has Cheteshwar Pujara and newly appointed captain Jaydev Unadkat.

Then why did Bombay suffer? Bombay has not one, but so many role models, from late Ajit Wadekar to Sunil Gavaskar, Dileep Vengsarkar, Sachin Tendulkar, etc. Sachin also interacted with Mumbai probables before the Indian domestic season opened. But then the problem started, the problem of injuries.

Let me say it again, it is not enough to have the firepower in your batting. To win a game, you need to have firepower in your bowling department as well, and for me this was the cause of Mumbai not performing well this year.

You cannot chop and change and fiddle with your team composition. When other Ranji teams were performing well and played with a settled team right through the season, Mumbai struggled to find a settled combination and the reason was players like Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyes, Dhawal Kulkarni were not available full time.

I am not trying to make excuses for the team, but when 7 main players out of 11 play on and off due to other cricketing engagements and injuries, the team will surely suffer. You can surely replace a couple of them, but it is difficult to find so many replacements.

Bombay’s other misfortune was the injury to their main bowlers Dhawal Kulkarni and Shardul Thakur at the wrong time. You can pile up runs with your batting strength but without bowlers, you cannot get the opposition out, and this was the main reason Mumbai did not do well this season.

I was happy to be invited by the CIC to have a chat with the players, coaches and officials recently. My advice to them in that chat was the same: Identify the cause and address it.

Take a new guard. Start fresh.